Dorrie Fontaine, is
Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Virginia. At the school
she started the Compassionate Care & Empathic Leadership Initiative (CCELI)
"which exists to create dialogue around and preparedness for nurses who
deal every day with people in life-changing situations–one-time or chronic
illness, terminal disease, end-of-life care and even death itself–and all
the highly-charged, complex issues surrounding them.

The
CCELI focuses on systems that optimize patients’ and their family’s
quality of life, incorporate compassion and empathy into personal
behavior, interprofessional interactions and encounters with patients
and families. We’re developing clinical, educational and research
initiatives that further those aims. Our ultimate vision is to reduce
human suffering and promote health and well-being by fostering
compassionate people and systems."

"Can compassion be taught? UVa Nursing's all volunteer army of nurses,
physicians, administrators, professors and students are learning
concrete ways to insert compassion into every patient interaction -- and
they're bolstering their own resilience in the process."

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"Can compassion be taught? UVa Nursing's all volunteer army of nurses,
physicians, administrators, professors and students are learning
concrete ways to insert compassion into every patient interaction -- and
they're bolstering their own resilience in the process."

At the heart of the initiative is the idea that
compassion can be taught.
"Since her arrival, Fontaine has built on that idea with the
Compassionate Care and Empathetic Leadership Initiative. It’s a long
title for a simple concept: Give nurses the tools to take on the
challenge of facing illness and death on a daily basis, and they’ll be
better prepared to help patients and families do the same. Better health
care relationships, better health care.

At the heart of the initiative is the idea that compassion can be
taught. Nursing students keep journals reflecting on their experiences,
practice tough conversations with simulated patient encounters, and
attend workshops and retreats where they learn techniques to clear their
minds."